Gio Nahrwold gives Palmyra the nod in S.J. Group 1 semi

Tuesday

The Panthers midfielder found himself on the end of two long throws as the Panthers earned a third straight trip to the South Jersey Group 1 final.

PALMYRA — You're probably used to seeing Gio Nahrwold on the other end of the long throw.

Palmyra's senior midfielder scored twice on headers Tuesday in a 2-1 victory over Pitman in their South Jersey Group 1 semifinal. The Panthers will host Glassboro on Thursday for the sectional championship. In girls action on a rainy playoff Tuesday, Burlington Township was eliminated 1-0 by Hopewell Valley.

Nahrwold's position in front of the net puts him opposite where he was on set pieces last season. Until recently, he was the Panthers' long throw specialist.

“This year our freshman (Mateo Gravano), who's a long throw specialist came in, and he really launches that ball, so I said take it,” Nahrwold said. “I knew I had to step up. Glassboro (who they faced in the sectional final) really hurt me last year, so this year I knew I wanted to make a difference, so I did whatever I could to get the ball in the back of the net.”

Gravano put one on Nahrwold's head in the ninth minute, and the senior's finish got just over Pitman keeper Sean Fanelli and just under the crossbar to give Palmyra a 1-0 lead.

It only lasted about eight minutes. Justin Ruffino won a ball in the midfield to start the tying goal in motion. His pass toward the right corner found Nick Razze, who put a bouncing pass between two defenders that Evan Gangi buried on a volley from about 8 yards away.

Both goalkeepers were tested over the rest of the half. Fanelli dived to palm away a tricky header by Adam Janowicz at the right post and made a sliding save on Nahrwold as he outraced the last defender to a loose ball and tried to finesse a rolling shot underneath the keeper.

A headed pass from Gangi found Joe O'Brien in front of the Palmyra net, but Panthers' keeper Liam Brett pulled down O'Brien's headed finish from right under the cross bar.

Liam Brett came out to his left ahead of a run by Pitman's Jonny Zubert a moment later. Zubert nearly got the ball clear of the keeper before Brett dived back toward his own net to cover it.

When it became a 40-minute game, Nahrwold said, Palmyra was at an advantage.

“All summer, after the first week when school ends, we're training,” he said. “We're out in the heat, 90 degrees, 100 degrees, running, and in the weight room. We've been preparing for this for four years, especially the seniors. But all summer running, working — this is what it came down to. We were the more fit team and the more experienced team.”

All they needed was a lead. Nahrwold took care of that, three minutes into the second half — again with a header on a long throw. It was Nahrwold's fifth goal in three postseason games. He had six in the playoffs last year.

“All over the field — it doesn't matter if its in our defensive third, the middle third or attacking third — playoffs come around and he starts leading the team,” Palmyra coach Mike Papenberg said. “Scoring goals, big defensive plays, a positive reinforcer out on the field; just everything that a coach needs on the field to have his team be successful.”

Tuesday there was one more element required: Brett made his two biggest saves of the game about 10 minutes into the second half. The first came on a turning 15-yard shot by Andrew Stoltfus that would have dipped just under the crossbar, if Brett hadn't palmed it over.

“You jump and put it over,” Brett said. “You do countless drills, night in and night out, and when it comes in the game, you do it right. It's the last thing you can ever hope to do. Just get it away from the goal.”

Brett victimized Stolzfus again just two minutes later, when a long cross found him wide open on the left wing. Stoltzfus took a heavy touch and chased the ball in, clear of any sign of defense, but Brett came out near the 18 and dispossessed him with a slide tackle before he could think about a shot.

“It's crazy at times,” Brett said. “It's part of the game. He was wide open, and our defense just did a great job, coming back. You can never take the credit as a goalkeeper. You have 10 other players in front of you and they all come back to help you out.”

Palmyra will make its third straight appearance in a sectional final and its second against Glassboro, which eliminated the Panthers in a shootout last year.

There will be no long bus trip this time, though; the Bulldogs will have to come to Fortress Palmyra, where the Panthers are 37-0-2 over the last three seasons.

“Finally, we get to host one,” Papenberg said. “It's been since 2005 (when they beat Clayton, 3-2, at Matt Curtis Stadium). We finally get to have someone come on our field, which teams do not like to play on. And hopefully we'll go and take care of business on Thursday.”

It's been a long time since 2005.

“I couldn't be more excited,” Nahrwold said. “It's my senior year. I've been ready. It's my turn to finally hold that trophy at the end of the game.”

GIRLS SOCCER

Hopewell Valley 1, Burlington Township 0: The Falcons fell victim to a first-half goal in a defensive-minded Central Jersey Group 3 semifinal girls soccer game. Goalie Erin Turpin had six saves. Township finished the season with an 11-9 record.

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